Sunday, February 24, 2008

A range of grades is used to describe the condition of coins. Valuation of a coin is impossible without a sound knowledge of the grading of coins. For this there is no real substitute for experience. However, the following is a guide to the main grading scheme used.

ProofNot a condition, but the coin has been struck using specially prepared dies and polished blanks, and the minting process has been carried out usually twice with extra pressure to ensure the die is filled. Normally the fields are highly polished, with the design matte, however matte proofs where the whole coin is matte are know (for example all the 1902 GB proofs), and sometimes even the designs is polished. A characteristic of proof coins is that they have very shape edges.

Fleur De Coin (FDC)Perfect mint state, with no abrasions or marks and full luster. Usually applied to proof coins only, as coins intended for circulation are in contact with others during production.

Brilliant Uncirculated (BU)Usually implies full mint luster, in other words no toning or tarnish.

Uncirculated (Unc)No wear, although it is possible for design not to be fully struck up in the minting process. There may be bay abrasions. Older coin may be tarnished or toned.

Extremely Fine (EF)Slight wears on high spots on close inspection, and other details clear and sharp. Much mint luster may remain.

Very Fine (VF)Worn over, but obvious evidence of limited circulation. High spots warn but detail remains. Traces of mint luster may linger amongst the letters of the inscription.

Fine (F)Worn over whole area, but only the highest spots are worn completely through.

Very Good (VG)Considerable wears over the coins and highly spots worn through. Coins this or previous grades are really only collectable if extremely rare.

1. Sumatran Tiger. The Sumatran tiger is endangered due to habitat loss, illegal hunting, conflicts with human, and the use of their parts in traditional medicines in the region. The Sumatran tiger is distinctive from the other cat species by the highly specialized pattern of numerous, nearly vertical dark stripes, extending from the spine over the flanks to the belly, generally broken up into simple or loose stripes and always conspicuous against the bright red or yellowish tan color of the upper side and the pale white hue of the underside.

2. Orang Utan. The Pongidae family includes the large, intelligent tail-less primates such as chimpanzee and gorilla of Africa and Orang Utan of Borneo and Sumatra.

3. Asiatic Elephant. The elephant is the largest land mammal now threatened due to destruction of their habitat.

4. Sumatran Rhinoceros. The Sumatran Rhinoceros, the smallest member of the Rhinocerotidae family has a rough skin, which is black and hairy.

5. Slow Loris. The Slow Loris or Kongkang can be distinguished by its round head and big bulging eyes. Its second toe has long curved claw while the other toes have flat nails. The body and limbs are stout with a coat of defence fur of varying color.

6. Barking Deer. The Barking Deer can be distinguished by its reddish brown upper body and whitish colour on the lower body.

7. Malayan Tapir. The Malayan Tapir is stoutly built with only a stumpof a tail. They have short legs with forelimbs bearing four toes and the hindlimbs, three toes. One of the outstanding features of the tapir is the presence of the snout, which resembles a short trunk.

8. Serow. Serows have large heads with ears resembling that of a donkey. Their dark body is heavily built with sturdy legs. A heavy crest of white hairs extends on the back of its neck.

9. Gaur. The Gaur can be easily identified due to its body, which resembles the domestic cattle and buffalo.

10. Sambar Deer. The Sambar Deer is one of the most popular game animals in the region, similar to the Barking Deer. Although it was once widespread, over-exploitation of this animal has resulted in a decline in population in some places.

11. Clouded Leopard. The Clouded Leopard is the largest among the small to medium-size cats. This beautiful animal is being hunted for its fur and bones, which are used in traditional medicine.

12. Proboscis Monkey. Proboscis Monkeys belong to the group of monkeys known as colobines or "leaf-eater", all of whose members have greatly enlarged stomachs.

1. Straw-Headed Bulbul. This species is the biggest among Bulbuls which has fine melodious songs. Sometimes it delivers bubbling songs by duetting pairs in the early morning. It can be identified by size and by its rich rufous-buff crown; which appears streaked or furrowed. Other characteristics include blackish moustache-like and mark through eye, pale throat and underparts, and a narrow light streaks on its breast and back.

2. Great Argus. One of the most famous of South-East Asian birds, the Great Argus is always heard chirping but is seldom seen in the wild.

3. White Bellied Sea Eagle. White Bellied Sea Eagle is the biggest species among raptors. It has an impressive wingspan which makes it easily identifiable.

4. Collared Kingfisher. The Collared Kingfisher is distinguished by its turquoise crown, back, wings and tail. It has a whitish collar and underparts, bordered by a fine black line. Its feet and beak are blackish grey in colour. When its wings are spread out in flight, they look greenish-blue.Its total length from beak to tail its between 24 to 26 cm.

5. Asian Fairy Bluebird. The male bird of this species has shiny light blue upperparts including the rump while the underparts, wings, tail and face are black in colour. Meanwhile, the female's body is turquoise, while its eyes are red with its side and tip of its wings being black.

6. Rhinoceros Hornbill. The Rhinoceros Hornbill is among the most popular of the hornbills species. It can be distinguihed by its yellow beak with a red patch at the base.

7. Nicobar Pigeon. This unique pigeon has a dark iridescent green plumage, a dark head as well as dark-coloured wings and a white tail.

8. Crested Wood Partridge. The male species is dark, glossy blue with a maroon crest. The legs and the skin around the eyes are red in colour and it has a bright red patch on its beak. It has blackish brown wings which contrast with its metallic purplish-blue body. The female has a dull grassy green body with a grey head, rufous wings, reddish legs and reddish skin around the eyes.

9. Black and Red Broadbill. This small yet stout species has black upper parts and deep red under parts, with a black band across its chest. It also has a red rump which is concealed when perched.Also seen is a long white streak across its wings. This species ' bill is bluish-green on the top part and yellow on the bottom part. A young Black and Red Broadbill show similarities with an adult bird in terms of colour, except for the under part, which is reddish-buff.

10. Great Egret. This species is the largest among the egrets and its size is easily distinguishable especially when in flight. The Great Egret has a strong bill and its feathers are mostly pure white. During breeding season, its bill turns black and its face will become bluish-green while the calves will be reddish or greenish in contrast to the rest of its black legs. A non-breeding Great Egret usually has a yellow bill with sometimes darkish tip, greenish-yellow face and black legs and toes.

11. Green Imperial Pigeon. This pigeon has ash grey feathers on its head, neck, chest and the under parts while the tail is all dark apart from its tail coverts which is chestnut in colour. It has light green wings and upper parts, red feet and grey bill with red base. The young pigeons are paler in colour compared to the adults, including the head, neck and underparts.

12. Brown Shrike. The Brown Shrike can be spotted between mid September until April in open areas. Its feathers are mainly caramel or rufous brown with a patch on its black face resembling a mask, whilst its forehead and eyebrow are pale. The crown and tail are yellow, with light brown to whitish underparts. Young Brown Shrikes have a faint and narrow blackish streak on its flanks and back.

Friday, February 22, 2008

1. GreenTurtle are easily recognised by their olive brown or dark brown shells. The carapace varies in colour but the underside is always white. It feeds mainly on sea grass and seaweed. The nesting season is between April and September and each turtle can lay between 100 to 140 eggs per nesting.

2. A hawksbill turtle is easily identified by its hawk-like beak. The surface of its shell consists of dark brown overlapping scales. This turtle dwells in shallow waters with coral reef. It feeds on corals and sponges.

3. The Bottlenose dolphin has a rather stout, short snout (approximately 75 mm long) with a sloping forehead and a projecting lower jaw. This dolphin has a high, falcate dorsal fin which is located near the middle of the back. It also has a broad base and rounded tip pectoral fin; upperparts plumbeous gray, sides pale gray and a belly white.

4. The painted terrapin shows marked sexual dimorphism with females being larger than males. The female species may grow up to 50 centimeters whilst the male up to 40 centimeters. During the breeding season, the head of the male turns white and red stripe appears between its eyes but the female head remains unchanged.

6. The Leather Turtle is the largest turtle species in the world. This species has a skin-covered carapace, which has seven ridges from the top to tail. The Leatherback Turtle is easily distinguished by the 'star fruits' design on its carapace and by its dark coloured body with white spots.

7. The dugong known also as the dugong is a hairy mammal, which nurtures its young. It breathes through its snout and has short spare hairs. An adult dugong may grow up to 5 metres in length and weight up to 400 kilogrammes. It is shaped like a torpedo with a streamlined body with fins and a tail which has a crescent shaped fluke, similar to a whale. This unique creature is greyishbrown in colour.

8. The Siamese Crocodile is very broad and heavy with a wide head, while mature animals have distinct bony ridges at the back which form a broad-based triangle. It also has four large scales present behind the head.

9. The whale shark is the largest fish in the sea. It has a broad fleet head with white spots and lines on its back.It also has a rounded snout, small eyes and five very large gill slits, two dorsal fins on its back and two pectoral fins on its sides. It breathes through the spiracle which is located just behind the eyes.

11. The Indopacific Crocodile is the largest species in the crocodylidae family. It can be recognised by its long triangular snout and by the bony plates called 'osteoderms' which extends from the eyes to its snout.

Technical Specification

Type: Nordic Gold

Coin Composition: Cu89 Zn5 Al5 Sn1

Diameter (mm) : 34.00

Weight (g) : 15.5

Thickness (mm) : 2.4 Approved

Mintage : 40,000 pieces

Face Value : 25 Sen

12. The Irrawady dolphin has a large blunt, rounded head with an indistinct beak. This species has a small triangular dorsal fin with a blunt tip below the centre of the back and the flippers are long and broad. It is a slow swimmer and usually moves in small groups.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Bank Negara Malaysia issued three types of commemorative coins in conjunction with the Installation of His Majesty The Yang di Pertuan Agong Al-Wathiqu Billah Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah. The commemorative coins were launched by His Majesty the Yang di Pertuan Agong at Istana Negara, Kuala Lumpur. The commemorative coins are legal tender and the specifications are as follows:

Gold Commemorative Coins (proof)

This proof coin is made of gold with 999.9 purity and weighs 7.96 grams. It has a face value of RM100 and will be sold at RM1,028 a piece. The mintage quantity is limited to 100 pieces.

Silver Commemorative Coin (proof)This proof coin, with a face value of RM10 is made of Sterling silver with 92.5 purity and weighs 21.00 grams. It is priced at RM138 a piece. The mintage quantity is limited to 200 pieces.

Nordic Gold Brilliant Uncirculated (B.U) Commemorative CoinThe Nordic Gold (B.U) coin has a face value of RM1 and will be sold at RM8 each. The mintage quantity is 10,000 pieces.

The design descriptions of the Installation of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong XIII commemorative coins are as follows:

The Obverse Side of the Coin depicts the portrait of His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in full regalia. The words "SERI PADUKA BAGINDA YANG DI-PERTUAN AGONG AL-WATHIQU BILLAH TUANKU MIZAN ZAINAL ABIDIN" appear at the circumference of the coin whilst the date of the installation appears below the portrait of the King.

The Reverse Side of the Coin depicts the emblem of the Yang di Pertuan Agong. The words "PERTABALAN SERI PADUKA BAGINDA YANG DI-PERTUAN AGONG" appear on the upper circumference of the coin whilst the words "BANK NEGARA MALAYSIA" appear on the lower circumference of the coin. The denomination of the coin appears above the words "BANK NEGARA MALAYSIA".

Sunday, February 17, 2008

The first truly Malay Coins were issued in about 1445, during the heyday of Malacca Sulatanate, the most glorious period in the history of penisula of Malaysia. The coins that issued back then were made of tin and stamped with Sultan's (King's) name. The tin coin was die struck and was known as pitis. The first Malacca coin so far recorded has been ascribed to th reign of Sultan Muzaffar Shah.

THIS IS THE LARGEST TIN COIN UNDER SULTAN MUZAFFAR SHAH'S COINAGE IN MALACCA DURING THE 15th CENTURY

Diameter : 31mmObverse : In Arabic "Muzaffar Shah Al sultan" (The Sultan Muzaffar Shah)Reverse: Interlaced Arabic inscription "Nasir Al Dunia Wa'l Din" (Helper of the world and of the religion of Islam)Composition : TinThe coin has 2 sets of 3 dots under the Jawi writing of Sultan Muzaffar Shah and it also shows the stump where the breaking point from the "Money Tree" lies.

THE TORTOISES AND CRABS CAST DURING THE COMING OF ADMIRAL CHENG HO TO MALACCA IN THE 15th CENTURY

1) Declare collecting as your hobbyBe sure to let your family members, relatives and friends know that you are crazy in collecting banknotes and coins. Always ask them for any excessive currency or items during their business trips or traveling to foreign countries. I believe if you ask around frequently, you will not be surprise that they are willing to give their excessive foreign currency to you to add into your collections. Always start to ask for a the smallest denominations or face value.

2) Exchange or swap your collectionThere are many collectors out there whom are willing and consistently looking for other collectors to swap their banknote from all over the world. Be sure that you be part of them. You can easily get them through the yahoo groups, blogs or websites. If you have duplicate banknotes in your collection, always swap it with other collectors to increase your collection. Be careful on those dishonor collectors whom default during exchanging process. Do your own research, you can find those default collectors whom are blacklisted by other collectors.

3) Purchase directly from authorized money changer or local bankOne of the ways to increase your collection is to buy directly from the authorized money changers. You will be surprise most of the time when you are telling them that you are a banknote collectors, they are willing to sell it to you in pieces and they might offer you for some old version notes. Many times, they have some reasonable good notes and are selling at good price. Try to establish a good relationship with money changer agency, you will get few extra ordinary deals.

4) Purchase through auction.One of the famous and established online auctions where you can bid your desire collection is through Ebay (http://www.ebay.com/) or Lelong (http://www.lelong.com.my/). There are thousand of banknotes or coins that are auction online everyday. If you spend some time to search through, you can easily find some good banknotes or coins that are selling with reasonable prices. Remember to take time to look through and compare the merchandise before closing a deal.

5) Purchase directly from dealers.Search through the internet and you can easily find banknotes and coins dealers around the worlds. Check the background of the dealer before closing a deal. If you are interested on a particular country’s banknote or coin, try to look up for local dealer. These dealers can sell at much reasonable price compare to others.

6) Visit your local flea market.Local flea market provides you an alternative location to search through your collections. Many of the sellers will gather at flea market with your collections for sell. Search for your desire banknote and coin and start bargain with them. Only through the bargain process, you will get a better deal. For example, in Malaysia, local collectors can visit Amcorp Mall located at PetalingJaya on every Saturday and Sunday where many collectors displays and sell their collectible items.

7) Be membership of your local numismatic society.Your participation in numismatic society will keep update you on latest news on banknotes or coins collections. As a member, you will be kept informed on the latest events such as exhibition. Some Numismatic Society provides free examination on your collection and gives advice on the current value of your collection.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

The first series of Malaysia Banknote (Type 1) was issued in 1967. This banknote was signed by Tun Ismail bin Mohamed Ali, the the first Malaysian Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia. It used the old Malay spelling "Di-perlakukan", "Gabenor" and "Sa for SA-PULOH, SA-RATUS & SA-RIBU".

The Type 1 of the first series was signed by Tun Ismail with old Malay Spelling of "Di-perlakukan" and "Gabenor"

The Type 2 of the first series was issued in 1972 in conjunction with the new Malay spelling system was introduced. The words "Diperlakukan" and "Gabenur" were used to replace the old Malay spelling. Changes also made on the words where “SA-PULOH” was changed to “SEPULUH”, "SA-RATUS to SERATUS" and "SA-RIBU to SERIBU".

The Type 2 of the first series adopted the new Malay spelling "Diperlakukan" and "Gabenur"

The Type 3 of the first series was issued in 1976 with some changes to the left corner of the note. It is noted that the "$1" on the bottom left corner had been removed. A relative small dollar sign ($1) was introduced at the top left corner.

The Type 3 of the first series changed made on the "$1"; Noted that it was removed from bottom left to top left but with relatively small sign

The Type 4 of the first series was issued in 1981 with the new signature of governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, Tan Sri Dato' Abdul Aziz bin Haji Taha whom took over the position left by Tun Ismail Bin Mohamed.

The Type 4 of the first series was signed by Tan Sri Dato' Abdul Aziz bin Haji Taha

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

The first edition of “A Complete Educational Reference on Malaysia Banknotes and Coins" was published in January 2003 by K. N. Boon, but it was named as "Standard Price Guide of Malaysia Banknotes & Coins 1939 - 2002". This guide book consists of 81 colour pages with quality printing banknotes and coins. It covers the banknotes and coins issued by Board of Commissioners of Currency Malaya in 1940 with the portrait of King George VI until the Malaysia currency of year 2002 issued Bank Negara Malaysia.

Standard Price Guide of Malaysia Banknotes & Coins 1939 - 2002

The second edition of “A Complete Educational Reference on Malaysia Banknotes and Coins 1786 - 2004" was published in September 2004 by K. N. Boon with complete information and update on Malaysian Banknotes and coins from 1786 to 2004. This guide book contains 258 colour pages that show quality and beautiful printing of banknotes and coins. It has added many collections of early currency of the Strait Settlements, coins and notes of Sarawak, private banknotes and private currency token, rubber coupons and etc. It is a very comprehensive of guide book of Malaysia Banknotes and Coins.

Monday, February 11, 2008

There are many guide books on Malaysia Banknote in the market. One of my favorable guide books on Malaysia Banknotes is “A Complete Educational Reference on Malaysia Banknotes and Coins 1786 - 2006” edited by K.N. Boon. This is the third edition which was published in September 2006. This edition has incorporated a complete information and update on Malaysian Banknotes from 1786 to 2006. It consists 386 colour pages that show quality and beautiful banknotes.

This guide book divides into two main sections: Coins and Banknotes. The coin section as the first part of the book starts with the first Penang’s coin that shows the balemark of the British East India Company (E.I.C) in 1787 as Penang was the first British Settlement in Malay Peninsula in 1786. It covers until the recent commemorative coins that issued by Bank Negara Malaysia. The banknote as the second section of the book provides a comprehensive collection of Malaysia banknotes. It has the collection of the banknotes that issued by private banking in 1866 until the current circulation banknotes that we are using now.

This guide book provides useful information to collectors. A collector can use it as a reference to identify the history of the banknote, issuance date, signatory, banknote's printer company and as well as it current collection value. As a banknote and coin collector, I am sure that you want to add it into your collection. It can be purchased at MPH bookstore with a reasonable price.

Welcome To My Blog

Welcome to my blog. This blog provides and updates you on information that relates to Malaysian currency and other Southeast Asian currency. There are many ordinary collectors around the world that just like you and me. However, there aren't many blogs that share the story and history of banknote or coin. I hope to share with you a little information of Malaysia and Southeast Asian country's currency.

Collecting banknote has been my hobby since many years ago. I enjoy viewing the unique design and color of each banknote or coin. One of my excitements is to get know of the MALAYSIA and other Asian countries' history through collecting banknotes /paper money and coins.

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All images, photos or resources published in Malaysian Banknotes are used for discussion and educational reference only. They are not meant for commercial purposes. These images, photos and resources might be obtained through private or commercial websites/publications. If you think that those materials are belongs to your copyright, please inform the author and it shall be removed accordingly. Everyone is free to read and use all materials or resources published in this blog for educational purposes.